Tielemans criticises ‘disjointed’ Manchester United after heavy Como defeat

Youri Tielemans said Manchester United were poor in every area as their difficult season deteriorated with a 4-1 Champions League defeat by Como in Italy on Wednesday.

The result extended United’s winless run to seven matches and represented another low point in their disappointing start to the campaign.

It also increased pressure on head coach Michael Carrick, whose position at Old Trafford is facing growing scrutiny. Captain Bruno Fernandes has publicly questioned Carrick’s tactical approach, adding to the uncertainty surrounding the manager after the emphatic defeat.

Carrick was furious at the final whistle, but later walked towards the travelling supporters at Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia to apologise to the United fans who had stayed in the away section.

Tielemans said the mood in the dressing room reflected the scale of the performance but insisted the squad had to respond quickly, with more matches ahead.

“It wasn’t a great atmosphere in [the dressing room], which everyone can understand, but we need to move on,” Tielemans told MUTV.

“We have got games coming, but it was very poor [against Como].

“Everything was missing. We were disjointed as a team, we didn’t play well together, our press was off.

“When we were on the ball, we couldn’t make the right decisions. Obviously you get frustrated in the game and they played around us too easily so, like I said, it was a poor night.”

The Belgian midfielder also acknowledged the frustration of United’s supporters during a difficult period for the club.

“It’s tough times for them (the fans), especially supporting the club, and we have to fight as players,” he added.

Carrick agreed with Tielemans’ assessment of United’s shortcomings, but the midfielder stressed that recognising the problems would not be enough. United now need to produce a significant improvement in their performances rather than simply discuss what went wrong.

The defeat in Italy leaves Carrick under mounting pressure, with doubts about his future intensified by the result and Fernandes’ criticism of the team’s tactical approach.

United’s next opportunity to respond comes in the Premier League on Sunday, when they host Bournemouth at Old Trafford.